UPDATE: Trains now running between Preston and Bolton

TRAIN services between Bolton and Preston are returning to normal after an earlier electrical fault lead to major disruption.

This morning, commuters faced rush hour chaos when a fault on the line between Chorley and Blackrod meant that trains were cancelled and replaced with buses.

The fault was fixed by Network Rail at about 7.30am and trains were running as normal, but the problem happened again at 10.30am.

On both occasions replacement coaches were provided for passengers between Bolton and Preston.

The fault was fixed for the second time at about 2.30pm and normal working has now been resumed, although the earlier disruption may have a knock on effect.

A Northern Rail spokesman said: "Whilst normal working has begun again, we are expecting some residual delays that may run into the peak time services.
“There is also likely to be some staff misplaced from the earlier cancelled services.”

Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!!

There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!!

Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!!
There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!!BWFC71

BWFC71 wrote:
Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!!

There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!!

BWFC71
Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for?
And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?

[quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote:
Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!!
There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!![/p][/quote]BWFC71
Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for?
And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?Bob Shaftoe

BWFC71 wrote:
Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!!

There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!!

BWFC71
Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for?
And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?

Yep Platform 5 is being reinstated as a through platform so that an express train can overtake an all-stopper train. Perfect example being the 17:23 from Salford Central to Blackpool normally has to wait at Salford Crescent for over 10 minutes or end up on the spare track outside Bolton to let the Lake District train pass thus often making the all-stopper late. This will ensure that anything like his will become a minimum and actually create more capacity for more trains in the future.

There is NO provision for another carpark and basically the current people will have to park in the side streets behind Sainbury's!!! his is not the fault of Northern Rail as they wanted to keep the carpark but as they only rent the station from Network Rail it is Network Rail that has the overall say. If anything TfGM would have known about this and have, basically, done nothing about the situation - they are basically either relying on people to use the bus to get to the station (but if like me that is impossible as I only have an hourly service which would make me either far too early for work or late for work as the times I work I can't change!!!), and TfGM are installing bike-parks at the new bus station as well as the 150+ new bike park spaces at the station!!!! Drivers are basically being left out of the equation!

[quote][p][bold]Bob Shaftoe[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote:
Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!!
There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!![/p][/quote]BWFC71
Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for?
And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?[/p][/quote]Yep Platform 5 is being reinstated as a through platform so that an express train can overtake an all-stopper train. Perfect example being the 17:23 from Salford Central to Blackpool normally has to wait at Salford Crescent for over 10 minutes or end up on the spare track outside Bolton to let the Lake District train pass thus often making the all-stopper late. This will ensure that anything like his will become a minimum and actually create more capacity for more trains in the future.
There is NO provision for another carpark and basically the current people will have to park in the side streets behind Sainbury's!!! his is not the fault of Northern Rail as they wanted to keep the carpark but as they only rent the station from Network Rail it is Network Rail that has the overall say. If anything TfGM would have known about this and have, basically, done nothing about the situation - they are basically either relying on people to use the bus to get to the station (but if like me that is impossible as I only have an hourly service which would make me either far too early for work or late for work as the times I work I can't change!!!), and TfGM are installing bike-parks at the new bus station as well as the 150+ new bike park spaces at the station!!!! Drivers are basically being left out of the equation!BWFC71

BWFC71 wrote: Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!! There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!!

BWFC71 Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for? And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?

Yep Platform 5 is being reinstated as a through platform so that an express train can overtake an all-stopper train. Perfect example being the 17:23 from Salford Central to Blackpool normally has to wait at Salford Crescent for over 10 minutes or end up on the spare track outside Bolton to let the Lake District train pass thus often making the all-stopper late. This will ensure that anything like his will become a minimum and actually create more capacity for more trains in the future. There is NO provision for another carpark and basically the current people will have to park in the side streets behind Sainbury's!!! his is not the fault of Northern Rail as they wanted to keep the carpark but as they only rent the station from Network Rail it is Network Rail that has the overall say. If anything TfGM would have known about this and have, basically, done nothing about the situation - they are basically either relying on people to use the bus to get to the station (but if like me that is impossible as I only have an hourly service which would make me either far too early for work or late for work as the times I work I can't change!!!), and TfGM are installing bike-parks at the new bus station as well as the 150+ new bike park spaces at the station!!!! Drivers are basically being left out of the equation!

If the only requirement is for a through fast line, surely it would be cheaper and quicker to reinstate the through line that used to run inbetween the existing platform 3 & 4 tracks. That way you could keep the car park, but while we're on that subject, could they not knock up a little multi storey on that car park a bit like the one at Wigan NW.
Plan B would be to use the redundant ground on the Manchester Road College site as a car park, or even build a proper multi storey on there ?

[quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Bob Shaftoe[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote: Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!! There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!![/p][/quote]BWFC71 Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for? And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?[/p][/quote]Yep Platform 5 is being reinstated as a through platform so that an express train can overtake an all-stopper train. Perfect example being the 17:23 from Salford Central to Blackpool normally has to wait at Salford Crescent for over 10 minutes or end up on the spare track outside Bolton to let the Lake District train pass thus often making the all-stopper late. This will ensure that anything like his will become a minimum and actually create more capacity for more trains in the future. There is NO provision for another carpark and basically the current people will have to park in the side streets behind Sainbury's!!! his is not the fault of Northern Rail as they wanted to keep the carpark but as they only rent the station from Network Rail it is Network Rail that has the overall say. If anything TfGM would have known about this and have, basically, done nothing about the situation - they are basically either relying on people to use the bus to get to the station (but if like me that is impossible as I only have an hourly service which would make me either far too early for work or late for work as the times I work I can't change!!!), and TfGM are installing bike-parks at the new bus station as well as the 150+ new bike park spaces at the station!!!! Drivers are basically being left out of the equation![/p][/quote]If the only requirement is for a through fast line, surely it would be cheaper and quicker to reinstate the through line that used to run inbetween the existing platform 3 & 4 tracks. That way you could keep the car park, but while we're on that subject, could they not knock up a little multi storey on that car park a bit like the one at Wigan NW.
Plan B would be to use the redundant ground on the Manchester Road College site as a car park, or even build a proper multi storey on there ?MalcM59

BWFC71 wrote: Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!! There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!!

BWFC71 Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for? And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?

Yep Platform 5 is being reinstated as a through platform so that an express train can overtake an all-stopper train. Perfect example being the 17:23 from Salford Central to Blackpool normally has to wait at Salford Crescent for over 10 minutes or end up on the spare track outside Bolton to let the Lake District train pass thus often making the all-stopper late. This will ensure that anything like his will become a minimum and actually create more capacity for more trains in the future. There is NO provision for another carpark and basically the current people will have to park in the side streets behind Sainbury's!!! his is not the fault of Northern Rail as they wanted to keep the carpark but as they only rent the station from Network Rail it is Network Rail that has the overall say. If anything TfGM would have known about this and have, basically, done nothing about the situation - they are basically either relying on people to use the bus to get to the station (but if like me that is impossible as I only have an hourly service which would make me either far too early for work or late for work as the times I work I can't change!!!), and TfGM are installing bike-parks at the new bus station as well as the 150+ new bike park spaces at the station!!!! Drivers are basically being left out of the equation!

If the only requirement is for a through fast line, surely it would be cheaper and quicker to reinstate the through line that used to run inbetween the existing platform 3 &amp; 4 tracks. That way you could keep the car park, but while we're on that subject, could they not knock up a little multi storey on that car park a bit like the one at Wigan NW.
Plan B would be to use the redundant ground on the Manchester Road College site as a car park, or even build a proper multi storey on there ?

Nope because Bolton is the major station for all "through" express/intercity trains. There are NO trains that by-pass, or go straight through with stopping at, Bolton

Bolton college land, on Manchester Road, has been sold to a property developer who is currently awaiting approval of plans to build new housing and retail units.

Why couldn't TfGM build a multi-storey car park as part of the bus station, like they have done with Shudehill bus station in Manchester!

But lets put it this way, we are talking about the UK where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing when it comes to pubic transport and what is required!!! Perfect examples of what should be done are at Almere Centrum (which can be viewed on googlemaps), Almere Parkwijk, Almere Poort (which has only been opened for 14 months) Weesp, Amsterdam Amstel and Amsterdam Centraal (I know these stations very well because I used to use, or go through, them on a daily basis).

Once Network Rail has finished with the spare land then it will be a staff carpark with 12 spaces - but there will be NO entrance to the station itself - because of Platform 5!

[quote][p][bold]MalcM59[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]Bob Shaftoe[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote: Although electrification sounds great - what is going to happen when there is a fault on that line with electric trains running - you have to remember that the Wigan branch line won't be electrified for at least 12 months after the Preston line??? Plus we are getting rolling stock, from London, which will be 25 years old, therefore even more of a chance of them breaking down!!! There have been problems since end of December on the Gatwick express and a friend of mine missed her plane thanks to the problem- being stuck on a train for 2 hours with no power!!!![/p][/quote]BWFC71 Can you explain to what purpose platform 5 is being reinstated for? And when the station car park closes have alternative arrangements been made and if not where are station users expected to park?[/p][/quote]Yep Platform 5 is being reinstated as a through platform so that an express train can overtake an all-stopper train. Perfect example being the 17:23 from Salford Central to Blackpool normally has to wait at Salford Crescent for over 10 minutes or end up on the spare track outside Bolton to let the Lake District train pass thus often making the all-stopper late. This will ensure that anything like his will become a minimum and actually create more capacity for more trains in the future. There is NO provision for another carpark and basically the current people will have to park in the side streets behind Sainbury's!!! his is not the fault of Northern Rail as they wanted to keep the carpark but as they only rent the station from Network Rail it is Network Rail that has the overall say. If anything TfGM would have known about this and have, basically, done nothing about the situation - they are basically either relying on people to use the bus to get to the station (but if like me that is impossible as I only have an hourly service which would make me either far too early for work or late for work as the times I work I can't change!!!), and TfGM are installing bike-parks at the new bus station as well as the 150+ new bike park spaces at the station!!!! Drivers are basically being left out of the equation![/p][/quote]If the only requirement is for a through fast line, surely it would be cheaper and quicker to reinstate the through line that used to run inbetween the existing platform 3 & 4 tracks. That way you could keep the car park, but while we're on that subject, could they not knock up a little multi storey on that car park a bit like the one at Wigan NW.
Plan B would be to use the redundant ground on the Manchester Road College site as a car park, or even build a proper multi storey on there ?[/p][/quote]Nope because Bolton is the major station for all "through" express/intercity trains. There are NO trains that by-pass, or go straight through with stopping at, Bolton
Bolton college land, on Manchester Road, has been sold to a property developer who is currently awaiting approval of plans to build new housing and retail units.
Why couldn't TfGM build a multi-storey car park as part of the bus station, like they have done with Shudehill bus station in Manchester!
But lets put it this way, we are talking about the UK where the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing when it comes to pubic transport and what is required!!! Perfect examples of what should be done are at Almere Centrum (which can be viewed on googlemaps), Almere Parkwijk, Almere Poort (which has only been opened for 14 months) Weesp, Amsterdam Amstel and Amsterdam Centraal (I know these stations very well because I used to use, or go through, them on a daily basis).
Once Network Rail has finished with the spare land then it will be a staff carpark with 12 spaces - but there will be NO entrance to the station itself - because of Platform 5!BWFC71

"There are NO trains that by-pass, or go straight through with stopping at, Bolton" is meant to read There are NO trains that by-pass, or go straight through withOUT stopping at, Bolton.

Apologies

Julian, any chance of an edit button?

"There are NO trains that by-pass, or go straight through with stopping at, Bolton" is meant to read There are NO trains that by-pass, or go straight through withOUT stopping at, Bolton.
Apologies
Julian, any chance of an edit button?BWFC71

Fair point about there being no non-stopping trains, but back in the 70's when there used to be an hourly service to Liverpool Central (showing my age here !), that train used to wait at the far end of platform 4, and there was a crossover so that other trains could pass it on the outside. All it would need would be to extend Platform 4 back to where it used to be, and put in a passing loop from further down the platform.

Fair point about there being no non-stopping trains, but back in the 70's when there used to be an hourly service to Liverpool Central (showing my age here !), that train used to wait at the far end of platform 4, and there was a crossover so that other trains could pass it on the outside. All it would need would be to extend Platform 4 back to where it used to be, and put in a passing loop from further down the platform.MalcM59

MalcM59 wrote:
Fair point about there being no non-stopping trains, but back in the 70's when there used to be an hourly service to Liverpool Central (showing my age here !), that train used to wait at the far end of platform 4, and there was a crossover so that other trains could pass it on the outside. All it would need would be to extend Platform 4 back to where it used to be, and put in a passing loop from further down the platform.

Just like Amsterdam Centraal in which all their platforms have crossing points to basically its 2 trains per platform!

Its like I say, in this country there are so many companies and councils and bodies involved the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - too much red tape, to many meetings, too much cost - we have got it all so wrong n this country for developments and expansionism!

[quote][p][bold]MalcM59[/bold] wrote:
Fair point about there being no non-stopping trains, but back in the 70's when there used to be an hourly service to Liverpool Central (showing my age here !), that train used to wait at the far end of platform 4, and there was a crossover so that other trains could pass it on the outside. All it would need would be to extend Platform 4 back to where it used to be, and put in a passing loop from further down the platform.[/p][/quote]Just like Amsterdam Centraal in which all their platforms have crossing points to basically its 2 trains per platform!
Its like I say, in this country there are so many companies and councils and bodies involved the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - too much red tape, to many meetings, too much cost - we have got it all so wrong n this country for developments and expansionism!BWFC71

MalcM59 wrote: Fair point about there being no non-stopping trains, but back in the 70's when there used to be an hourly service to Liverpool Central (showing my age here !), that train used to wait at the far end of platform 4, and there was a crossover so that other trains could pass it on the outside. All it would need would be to extend Platform 4 back to where it used to be, and put in a passing loop from further down the platform.

Just like Amsterdam Centraal in which all their platforms have crossing points to basically its 2 trains per platform! Its like I say, in this country there are so many companies and councils and bodies involved the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - too much red tape, to many meetings, too much cost - we have got it all so wrong n this country for developments and expansionism!

Quite right! How on earth can we run a national railway efficiently when the infrastructure, and rolling stock are owned by separate organisations, and the numerous train operating companies,have to pay both of these to lease and run the trains? Stop the world, I want to get off!

[quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote:
[quote][p][bold]MalcM59[/bold] wrote: Fair point about there being no non-stopping trains, but back in the 70's when there used to be an hourly service to Liverpool Central (showing my age here !), that train used to wait at the far end of platform 4, and there was a crossover so that other trains could pass it on the outside. All it would need would be to extend Platform 4 back to where it used to be, and put in a passing loop from further down the platform.[/p][/quote]Just like Amsterdam Centraal in which all their platforms have crossing points to basically its 2 trains per platform! Its like I say, in this country there are so many companies and councils and bodies involved the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing - too much red tape, to many meetings, too much cost - we have got it all so wrong n this country for developments and expansionism![/p][/quote]Quite right! How on earth can we run a national railway efficiently when the infrastructure, and rolling stock are owned by separate organisations, and the numerous train operating companies,have to pay both of these to lease and run the trains? Stop the world, I want to get off!Darren1951

FreedomOfSpeech1945 wrote:
When I worked at BON it was mentioned that Network Rail are putting a curve in so that trains from Preston direction can arrive on P1

That's all part and parcel of the "Northern Hub" - although they do have to be careful with it and use it sparingly as Platform 1 will still be a North/South platform for the Blackburn/Clitheroe branch line - which is not going to get electrified!

[quote][p][bold]FreedomOfSpeech1945[/bold] wrote:
When I worked at BON it was mentioned that Network Rail are putting a curve in so that trains from Preston direction can arrive on P1[/p][/quote]That's all part and parcel of the "Northern Hub" - although they do have to be careful with it and use it sparingly as Platform 1 will still be a North/South platform for the Blackburn/Clitheroe branch line - which is not going to get electrified!BWFC71

Lets not also forget that, probably, during the summer months, there will be a radically reduced train service operating through Bolton whilst they deepen both tunnels underneath Farnworth - it will also mean the temporary closure of Farnworth station!

Lets not also forget that, probably, during the summer months, there will be a radically reduced train service operating through Bolton whilst they deepen both tunnels underneath Farnworth - it will also mean the temporary closure of Farnworth station!BWFC71

BWFC71 wrote:
Lets not also forget that, probably, during the summer months, there will be a radically reduced train service operating through Bolton whilst they deepen both tunnels underneath Farnworth - it will also mean the temporary closure of Farnworth station!

It'll all be worth it in the end...can't wait to travel on Northern Rail's overcrowded hand-me-down 25 year old clapped out electric trains, instead of Northern Rail's overcrowded 30 year old clapped out diesels... That's progress for you !

[quote][p][bold]BWFC71[/bold] wrote:
Lets not also forget that, probably, during the summer months, there will be a radically reduced train service operating through Bolton whilst they deepen both tunnels underneath Farnworth - it will also mean the temporary closure of Farnworth station![/p][/quote]It'll all be worth it in the end...can't wait to travel on Northern Rail's overcrowded hand-me-down 25 year old clapped out electric trains, instead of Northern Rail's overcrowded 30 year old clapped out diesels... That's progress for you !MalcM59